MEET AND GREET

One nice thing about starting this blog, has been the opportunity to meet new and interesting people in town. I met Tom, just as he was leaving the Daily Grind with a fresh cup of coffee and walking to the antique shop next door. I had spotted his sweet 1949 vintage German bicycle and trailer setup as I rode past, so I looped back and began snapping a few photos. Tom jokingly asked if those photos were going to end up being sent to the CIA. Tom is a transplant from Ventura, CA and has been in Pueblo for 3 years. We talked for a bit about how we missed the beloved West Coast, then the antique shop owner pulled Tom away to come listen to an old Arlo Guthrie record that he recently found. I think I may try to spend more time down at that antique shop, there are some cool cats hanging out there.So this is a question I ask, are the majority of alternative transportation users here in Pueblo native to the area or transplants from other areas? I feel like there is a definite automobile obsession with people that grew up in Pueblo. They seem to value there automobiles more than anything else. I recently read an article which stated that Americans aged 25-34 spent 16.3% of their total income on transportation. This percentage has to be based on car drivers. There is no way possible that a public transit user, walker, or bicycle commuter could spend 16.3% of their total income on transportation. Does this obsession with automobiles contribute to people putting themselves into poverty, just so they can have a cool SUV?